Adventures in Haircuts #3

February 2009

So I reached the 4-month mark since my last haircut.  The style didn’t naturally turn under anymore or make that cool “swish, swish” motion when I turned my head.  The ends were getting scraggly too.

And so, my thoughts naturally turned to Gavin.  Of Gavin Studio.

A few of my female friends at work were also talking about needing a new style.  An American who recently moved to China brought some brand new hairstyle magazines from the States for us to peruse – wonderful!  So for several days, we all poured over the magazines – analyzing several cuts and helping each other decide which style most suited our personalities.

I decided on something kind of like a messy bob.  It was about chin length with chunky layers – a style that simply said, “Hi, I’m hip and bohemian and look this terrific without trying.”

Saturday morning we excitedly headed into downtown Beijing – ready for our transformations.

Carrie, Lauren, and Elva all went before me.  They all looked terrific.  Then it was my turn.  We showed the photo of my chosen hairstyle to Gavin.  He looked at the magazine.  He looked at me.  He looked at the photo again.

“I don’t like it.  It’s out dated – I can do better.”

Elva and Gavin started arguing back and forth a little – I couldn’t understand most of what they were saying.  Finally, Elva turned to me and said, “He says the style you chose is just ’so so.’  He says he has a better idea.  He wants to know if you trust him.”

“Uh, sure.  I trust him.”

“He wants you to look at him and tell him you trust him.”

I looked Gavin in the eye and said, “I trust you.”

There was no iPod this time, but I saw the same look of earnestness and determination on his face.  His lips pursed in concentration, Gavin began his work.  I closed my eyes, repeating my promise over and over again in my head.  “I trust you, I trust you, I trust you.”

Within just a few minutes, my head felt significantly lighter.  “Wow, he’s taking a lot off,” I thought to myself.  “Calm down.  I trust you, I trust you…”

When he told me he was finished, I opened my eyes.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you thought to yourself, “Keep it together.  You can make it.  Just get yourself out of this room…and then you can cry.”

That’s exactly how I felt.

Trying to mask my disappointment, I smiled and thanked him.  I paid.  We left.  The girls all assured me that it was a great cut and that I just needed to get used to it.  They told me I’d love it once I styled it myself.

“Just give it a few days and you’ll feel totally different.”

I look like one of the Jonas Brothers.

Want to know what I think of you, Gavin of Gavin Studio?  You may have dimples and you may have a great collection of scarves, but you also have an over-inflated ego.  You thought you knew my hair better than me but you left me looking like an adolescent boy.  Oh and another thing.  Your funky glasses?  Yeah, everybody can totally tell you don’t have glass in the lenses.  Faker.